Sir Christopher Blount
Encyclopedia
Sir Christopher Blount was an English
soldier, secret agent, and rebel. He served as a leading household officer of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
. A Catholic, Blount corresponded with Mary, Queen of Scots's Paris
agent, Thomas Morgan
, probably as a double agent. After the Earl of Leicester's death he married the Dowager Countess
, Lettice Knollys
, mother of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
. Blount became a comrade-in-arms and confidant of the Earl of Essex and was a leading participant in the latter's 1601 rebellion. Some weeks later he was beheaded on Tower Hill
for high treason
.
, Worcestershire
, the younger son of Thomas Blount, a relative of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
on the Earl's mother's side, and one of his chief household officers until his death in 1568. Blount's mother was Mary Poley from a Suffolk
Catholic family. As a child Christopher Blount was sent to Louvain
to be privately tutored by William Allen. Despite being a Catholic, he was Gentleman of the Horse to the Earl of Leicester by 1584. He corresponded with Thomas Morgan
in Paris
, the exiled agent of Mary, Queen of Scots. Apparently Blount offered to "do [her] notable service". In his dealings with Morgan Blount probably had the backing of Leicester and Francis Walsingham
, Queen Elizabeth
's spymaster. Leicester trusted Blount, calling him "Mr. Kytt" and caring for his well-being. Blount served in the Netherlands Campaign from 1585 till 1587, when Leicester was Governor-General
there.
In the spring of 1589, about seven months after the Earl's death, Blount married his widow, Lettice Knollys
, whom Queen Elizabeth hated for having married the Earl of Leicester. Accordingly, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
, Lettice's son and the new favourite
of the Queen, termed this an "unhappy choice". Lettice seems to have been very happy with her choice, as is shown by her later correspondence. Lady Leicester (she continued to be styled thus) and Sir Christopher were busy repaying the Earl of Leicester's colossal debts and were engaged in numerous law-suits because of this.
Blount was Member of Parliament
for Staffordshire
, where he lived, in the Parliaments of 1593 and 1597; he was elected at the instance the Earl of Essex, who was influential in the county. In 1596, Blount was a colonel
in the Cadiz
expedition, and in 1597 in that to the Azores
. One of the main followers of the Earl of Essex, he became much involved in the latter's rebellion in 1601. On the fateful Sunday, 8 February, he was badly wounded in the cheek, riding side by side with his stepson, the Earl. Weak from his hurt, he was carried on a litter to his trial and beheaded about four weeks after Essex on Tower Hill
for high treason
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
soldier, secret agent, and rebel. He served as a leading household officer of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, KG was an English nobleman and the favourite and close friend of Elizabeth I from her first year on the throne until his death...
. A Catholic, Blount corresponded with Mary, Queen of Scots's Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
agent, Thomas Morgan
Thomas Morgan (of Llantarnam)
Thomas Morgan of Llantarnam , of the Welsh Morgan of Monmouthshire, was a confidant and spy for Mary, Queen of Scots, and was involved in the Babington plot to kill Queen Elizabeth I of England....
, probably as a double agent. After the Earl of Leicester's death he married the Dowager Countess
Dowager
A dowager is a widow who holds a title or property, or dower, derived from her deceased husband. As an adjective, "Dowager" usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles....
, Lettice Knollys
Lettice Knollys
Lettice Knollys , Countess of Essex and Countess of Leicester , was an English noblewoman and mother to the courtiers Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex and Lady Penelope Rich; through her marriage to Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, she incurred the Queen's undying...
, mother of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
. Blount became a comrade-in-arms and confidant of the Earl of Essex and was a leading participant in the latter's 1601 rebellion. Some weeks later he was beheaded on Tower Hill
Tower Hill
Tower Hill is an elevated spot northwest of the Tower of London, just outside the limits of the City of London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Formerly it was part of the Tower Liberty under the direct administrative control of Tower...
for high treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
.
Career
Christopher Blount was born in KidderminsterKidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, the younger son of Thomas Blount, a relative of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, KG was an English nobleman and the favourite and close friend of Elizabeth I from her first year on the throne until his death...
on the Earl's mother's side, and one of his chief household officers until his death in 1568. Blount's mother was Mary Poley from a Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
Catholic family. As a child Christopher Blount was sent to Louvain
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
to be privately tutored by William Allen. Despite being a Catholic, he was Gentleman of the Horse to the Earl of Leicester by 1584. He corresponded with Thomas Morgan
Thomas Morgan (of Llantarnam)
Thomas Morgan of Llantarnam , of the Welsh Morgan of Monmouthshire, was a confidant and spy for Mary, Queen of Scots, and was involved in the Babington plot to kill Queen Elizabeth I of England....
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, the exiled agent of Mary, Queen of Scots. Apparently Blount offered to "do [her] notable service". In his dealings with Morgan Blount probably had the backing of Leicester and Francis Walsingham
Francis Walsingham
Sir Francis Walsingham was Principal Secretary to Elizabeth I of England from 1573 until 1590, and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster". Walsingham is frequently cited as one of the earliest practitioners of modern intelligence methods both for espionage and for domestic security...
, Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
's spymaster. Leicester trusted Blount, calling him "Mr. Kytt" and caring for his well-being. Blount served in the Netherlands Campaign from 1585 till 1587, when Leicester was Governor-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
there.
In the spring of 1589, about seven months after the Earl's death, Blount married his widow, Lettice Knollys
Lettice Knollys
Lettice Knollys , Countess of Essex and Countess of Leicester , was an English noblewoman and mother to the courtiers Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex and Lady Penelope Rich; through her marriage to Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, she incurred the Queen's undying...
, whom Queen Elizabeth hated for having married the Earl of Leicester. Accordingly, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
, Lettice's son and the new favourite
Favourite
A favourite , or favorite , was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In medieval and Early Modern Europe, among other times and places, the term is used of individuals delegated significant political power by a ruler...
of the Queen, termed this an "unhappy choice". Lettice seems to have been very happy with her choice, as is shown by her later correspondence. Lady Leicester (she continued to be styled thus) and Sir Christopher were busy repaying the Earl of Leicester's colossal debts and were engaged in numerous law-suits because of this.
Blount was Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Staffordshire
Staffordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Staffordshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
, where he lived, in the Parliaments of 1593 and 1597; he was elected at the instance the Earl of Essex, who was influential in the county. In 1596, Blount was a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in the Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
expedition, and in 1597 in that to the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
. One of the main followers of the Earl of Essex, he became much involved in the latter's rebellion in 1601. On the fateful Sunday, 8 February, he was badly wounded in the cheek, riding side by side with his stepson, the Earl. Weak from his hurt, he was carried on a litter to his trial and beheaded about four weeks after Essex on Tower Hill
Tower Hill
Tower Hill is an elevated spot northwest of the Tower of London, just outside the limits of the City of London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Formerly it was part of the Tower Liberty under the direct administrative control of Tower...
for high treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
.